A former NRL back rower turned Ergon Energy worker has saved a crippled pregnant ewe using a pair of old shears and a Stanley knife while on a job at a property near Surat a few weeks ago.

Ben Ridge, who played 58 games for the Gold Coast Titans, was enjoying smoko alongside colleague Lee Horman when he noticed dust being flicked in the distance.

The curious third year apprentice distribution linesman went to take a closer look when he found a sheep who had missed shearing and was unable to move due to her wet overgrown fleece and the heat wave conditions.

The sheep was laying on her side when Mr Ridge found her and was so dehydrated she drank from a cup whilst like that.

With the landowner away from the property, the pair took it upon themselves to save the sheep who “wouldn’t have lasted another day”.

They got the ewe into the shade and re-hydrated her before finding a set of shears and a Stanley knife in the old shearing quarters.

Mr Ridge, who grew up on the land but had never shorn a sheep, later realised the ewe had a bag of milk and was days away from lambing.

Knowing that noone would believe them, the pair snapped a photo with the damsel in distress before she returned to the paddock.

Mr Ridge said it wasn’t something he expected to do in his new career path.

Mr Ridge with the pile of wool they cut from the sheep.

“You come across a few wild sights but that’s the most random one I’ve ever come across in my short career with Ergon,” he said.

“Once she was sheared it looked like there were two sheep sitting on the ground.

“I’ve seen it (shearing) down a couple of times in videos but it was nothing like what you see in the videos anyway. They have a proper electric razor...they weren’t exactly the sharpest shearers (I had).”